


The cereal debate

by Vallkyr



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Gen, Humor, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, actually scratch that cereal is important, also this isn't proofread, and instead of writing my term paper, cereal debate, cereal era, fighting over trivial things, not sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-26 19:50:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12564888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vallkyr/pseuds/Vallkyr
Summary: "Hyung! Please teach Minho how to make cereal." A somewhat relieved expression takes over Changbin's face while he crosses his arms in front of his chest."What? Minho, please tell me you do know how to make cereal.""Of course I do! But for whatever reason those two are freaking out over it.""Because he puts the milk in first!"





	The cereal debate

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I already posted this on tumblr ( https://vallkyr.tumblr.com/post/166945150796/the-cereal-debate ) but I also wanted to post it on ao3 because there isn't nearly enough stray kids stuff on here and I feel the strong need to change that. Thanks to everyone involved in the cereal debate (to everyone who's confused right now please just look up cereal debate on tumblr, it's worth it). Let's continue to be an awesome fandom that gets along so well that we can fight over the correct breakfast.

"What. Are. You. Doing?" Minho turns around, looking at a offended seeming Changbin in confusion.

"What does it look like? I'm making cereal."

"No but how?!"

"Uh, by pouring milk into a bowl? Do you need me to teach you how to do that? As soon as the cap is open it's pretty easy."

"No. I mean you can't put the milk in first!"

Still not grasping the problem, Minho looks for help, getting his hopes up when Jisung pokes his head through the kitchen door. Only for that hope to immediately get crushed again.

"WHO PUTS MILK IN FIRST?!"

"MINHO-HYUNG!"

Suddenly the room is filled with a mess of Jisung's and Changbin's voices talking over each other. It's confusing really, Minho can't understand a word between their quick talking and wild gesturing. His brain is still halfway asleep. There's only one thing that can save him now.

"Chan, help!"

"Huh?"

Thank god he heard it.

"Chan-hyung won't be able to help you out of this!" Jisung shouts just as their leader, still tired, rubbing his eyes and wearing nothing but boxer shorts and a huge hoodie, enters the room.

"Hyung! Please teach Minho how to make cereal." A somewhat relieved expression takes over Changbin's face while he crosses his arms in front of his chest.

"What? Minho, please tell me you do know how to make cereal."

"Of course I do! But for whatever reason those two are freaking out over it."

"Because he puts the milk in first!"

"What?" Chan raises his brow at the two shocked boys in front of him. "Seriously, that's why your shouting like this?"

"Because it's unnatural!" Jisung shots back, Changbin only shakes his head at Chan's ignorance.

"Unnatural? Because he puts the milk in first? That's how I've been eating my cereal for the past 20 years."

Both Changbin and Jisung gasp, looking at him with wide eyes. Jisung almost looks hurt, Changbin's expression seems more like that of disappointed and betrayal.

"I should have known things would be crazy in down-under."

"I trusted you." Jisung says with a shake of his head before stepping closer to Changbin and letting himself get pulled into a quick hug by the elder.

"What the fuck..." Minho, who watched the entire discussion with the pack of milk still in his hand, whispers in still ongoing confusion. He exchanges a look with Chan and is about to speak up again when he is interrupted by a deep, raspy voice coming from the door.

"What's wrong? Why does Jisung looks like he's about to cry?"

"I'd like to tell you, but I still don't get what just happened."

“Milk or cereal first?” Chan explains, looking at Felix expectantly.

“Why would anyone put the cereal in first?”

“Not you too!”

“Fucking Aussies.” 

“EXCUSE ME?!” If it wasn't for Chan holding him back by the arms Felix would have surely jumped at Changbin and scratch his eyes out for the last comment. Luckily, Chan is stronger than the younger so holding him in place isn't too difficult, even though he's still tired as hell and has no idea how they got into this mess.

“Come on, everyone. Don't get personal.”

“This got personal the second the second he touched the milk!” Jisung exclaims, pointing at Minho behind him.

“He did what?” Everyone turns around, finding their youngest band member walking into the already cramped kitchen. “What's the sense of putting the milk in first?”

“So the cereal doesn't get all soaked and sludgy?”

“Fuck yeah, Hyunjin!” Felix screams, pressing through the crowd of people inside the small room and dabbing after successfully getting his high five from Hyunjin at the doorway.

“I can't believe we're about to loose in numbers.” Jisung whispers, resulting in Changbin pulling him closer again.

“Don't worry, I got this. Woojin-hyung!”

“What? Oh, are we having a group meeting in the kitchen?”

“Something like that. Milk or cereal first?”

“Cereal of course.”

“Yay!”

“Not. So. Fast.” Felix intervenes, a little smirk on his face as he steps closer until he's right in front of Jisung and Changbin. Everyone's gaze is directed at him as he speaks up again, barely loud enough for the rest of the band to hear. “Seungmin is still missing.”

A moment of silence passes before everyone (mostly Jisung and Felix (but also the rest (even if not 100% voluntarily in Minho's case))) make a run for it, dashing into the room Felix shares with Seungmin. Later is still asleep. Well he was. Half a dozen people flooding the room, accompanied by lots of voices wake him up immediately.

“What's happening? Why is everyone here?” Drowsy and bed-haired Seungmin slowly sits up in his bed. Takes a look around. And closes his eyes again. Awestruck silence fills the room at all the cuteness displayed by one of their youngest members. 

“Aww. I mean. Uh. Seungmin. Really important question.” In that moment Changbin thanks every god in existence that Seungmin is still way too far in dreamland to notice the low chuckles coming from the others. “Milk or cereal first?”

“What?” Very far in dreamland.

“Come on everyone, let's give him time to wake up properly first.” With that Chan chases everyone out the door and into the living room.

 

~

 

The time afterwards is filled with tense silence. Really, the dorms has never been this quiet before. It's kind of ridiculous how they all divided into two groups, even sitting down on the couch as far away from the other group as possible. Minute after minute passes until eventually Jisung is the one to speak up again.

“I still can't believe it. All this time we've lived together you two have been eating your cereal the wrong way. Good thing you didn't infect Jeonginnie.” Team cereal simultaneously gathers into a group hug around the maknae as if they had to shield him from the bad influence of pouring the milk before the cereal.

“Guys, it's still just cereal.” Chan tries to reason but is immediately cut off by Felix next to him.

“It's not just cereal, hyung. This is a matter of upbringing.”

“Like a religion.” Hyunjin agrees, giving Felix another high five. And letting him dab.

“Don't tell me you guys still haven't solved the cereal discussion.” Everybody turns to Minho who is by now eating his bowl of cereal in the quiet before the storm aura filling the dorm. 

“Quiet, milk-pourer!” Team cereal instantly tightens his hold around each other. At the same time Hyunjin and Felix cuddle up to either side of Chan, forming a pile of team milk.

“Unbelievable.” Minho mutters before shoving another spoon full of cereal into his mouth.

“What's going on in here?”

“Seungmin!” Half the band suddenly jumps up and crowds the newly awake band member. Being the reasonable leader, and feeling like the only sane person left together with Minho, Chan tries to at least hold his time back. Though Hyunjin is out of his grasp in the blink of an eye, he somehow manages to keep Felix on the couch. That's how Seungmin ends up with “only” five of his band mates cornering him.

“Seungmini, milk or cereal first? You know cereal is the only way don't you?”

“Stop trying to influence him, Woojin-hyung!” Again, Chan has to hold Felix back to prevent the situation from escalating.

“He's not influencing, he's saying the truth. Come on, Seungmin. How do you pour your cereal?”

“I... I usually put the milk in first.” Immediately, team cereal jumps away from him as though they just burned their hands on him, leaving Seungmin really confused at the extreme reaction. The confusion only grows when half of team milk, not even Chan being able to hold Felix back this time, throws itself at Seungmin.

“There's actually more of them?” Disbelieve resounds in Jeongin's voice, resulting in his time forming a hug around him as well.

“What do you mean 'more'? Isn't it 4:4?” Everyone stares at Minho, and his second bowl of cereal, in shock. Even Chan.

“What do you mean 4:4? What about you?”

“I'm neutral.” He continues eating his cereal as though he didn't just shatter all his dongsaeng's view of the world.

“How can you be neutral?! You're the one who started this!”

“Actually, Changbin, you're the one who started it. I only wanted to eat my cereal.”

“But you poured the milk in first, right? That means your in our team.” Hyunjin concludes but is met with a small chuckle from the elder.

“I pour whatever gets into my hand first into the bowl. Why is the order so important?”

“That's crazy!”

“You monster!”

“Insane!”

Before Minho can comprehend what is happening he's surrounded by people throwing complaints at him. He tries to take a few steps back but his back soon hits the wall. Meanwhile the shouting only increases, getting louder with every passing second. “Guys, you're going to spill my cereal!” They don't seem to care. In fact, the sheer mention of cereal only urges them further until there's only option left for Minho: making use of his agility and small build by squeezing through the crowd, making a run for the bathroom before the others notice him lock it. Everyone blinks in confusion when they realize he escaped. Then follows him to the bathroom. They're about to start a knock concert at the door when Chan stops them.

“This has to stop! Come on let me through.” It takes a moment but eventually everyone steps aside, letting their leader step in front of the locked door. “Minho, please get out of there.”

“I'm not leaving this room until you guys sort your shit out and calm down for good.”

“What if someone has to use the bathroom.”

“We have plenty windows.”

“What?!”

“Hyung we can't do that! We'll have to use the bathroom sooner or later!”

“That's because you milk-pourers end up with too much milk for your cereal.” Changbin throws at Hyunjin with a triumphant look.

“Enough of this! We're solving this like adults now.”

“Not to be that person, Chan-hyung. But aren't most of us underage?”

“Well, I'm not. Everyone sit down in the living room. I'll be right back.”

 

~

 

The teams go back to their separate places on the couch, waiting for Chan to return. When he does, it's with a flip chart. Jeongin is about to ask since when they've been hiding a flip chart in their dorm but is shushed by their band leader.

“Silence. Nobody speaks until I say their name.”

“Do we also have to raise our hand?”

“Yes, Felix you have to raise your hand. Now quiet please.”

With that Chan turns around, fetches a marker from his pocket and starts to make a chart – cereal on the right and milk on the left, the two sides divided by a thick line in the middle.

“We will make a list and then see which side wins. Woojin.”

“Does the loser team have to convert at the end?”

“No. Maybe. We'll see. Team cereal, your first argument please.” They stick their heads together, then Changbin raises his hand. “Yes?”

“Obviously, the cereal gets covered in milk and doesn't just float at the surface.”

Chan nods and writes down “cereal covered in milk” down at the right side. When he turns around, team milk is already prepared for their turn.

“Felix.”

“The cereal stays crispy.”

“Why would y-”

“Ah! Wait until it's your turn!” He writes down the argument before turning to the right side of the room again. “Now.”

“Where's the point in using milk if you want the cereal to stay hard?”

“That's not an argument, Jisung. It's a question.”

“Fine. Cereal is supposed to become softer from the milk.”

Like that their professional goes back and forth. Cereal, milk, cereal, milk. It surprises all of them how many arguments they are able to come up with. The list grows longer and longer until all of them run out of things to say.

“Guys, I think we're at a standoff.”

“No! That can't be!”

“Jisung, one more team and your team will lose a point.”

“Just find a compromise already!”

“Minho?”

“I had to listen to everything. This is ridiculous. Please, just find a compromise already so I can leave this room in safety.”

“Okay, how about this:” Chan waits until he all the attention is concentrated on him before continuing. “Everyone switches today. We use the other option and try to understand the other team.” There are a few grunts and mumbled complaints but eventually everyone agrees to the plan. “Minho, the coast is clear.”

“Finally. I can't believe this took us over entire hour.”

 

~

 

That day, team cereal eats their cereal with milk first for the first time. Woojin is even brave enough to try Seungmin's way of warming the milk in the microwave before pouring the cereal into the bowl. Team milk on the other hand tries out starting with the cereal. Everyone watches in fascination, enjoying the strangely satisfying view of milk raising from underneath the cereal. In the end everyone has to admit that both side have their advantages. On Minho's request they even group hug and promise to never let a fight escalate like that.

“I have to say though, I'm relieved this was our first fight.” Everyone throws confused looks at Chan, urging him to explain. “Well imagine if our first fight would have been over something serious. It would have been bad of we had gotten into a fight about the choreography or something like that. I'm glad we're fighting over something like the order of pouring milk and cereal. If we can have a fight purely about a topic like that, doesn't that show how well we get along? That we don't have anything more grave to fight over?” Everyone agrees with a smile before finally starting their breakfast for real.

**Author's Note:**

> I have to admit I used to be in team milk but the debate is about to make me a member of team cereal.


End file.
